Press Releases

September28,2013

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) released the following statement after his vote opposing the House Republicans' Continuing Resolution:

"The House could have avoided a shutdown by passing the Senate's clean bill that would continue to fund the government at levels the Republicans demanded in sequestration, but House Republicans continue to play politics and make unreasonable partisan demands.

"A government shutdown has very real consequences — 2 million civilian federal employees would not be paid, Social Security and disability checks could be delayed, and housing loans for low income families could stop. House Republicans seem to be more concerned with forcing their political agenda through Congress than preventing the harm a government shutdown would cause.

"House Republicans need to focus on keeping our government operating and increasing our debt limit. Their attempts to hold up these basic functions of government for political reasons is irresponsible and needs to end."

September27,2013

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) released the following statement after the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government and avoid a shutdown:

“With the Senate’s passage of a clean bill that would continue to fund the government, the House Republicans’ refusal to pass this measure would jeopardize our economy.

"The funding bill passed by the Senate includes funding at the level House Republicans demanded in sequestration. Now, in their effort to move the goalpost further to the right, they are rejecting this measure due entirely to unnecessary and unreasonable partisan demands that have nothing to do with the budget.

"House Republicans must join Democrats to pass a funding bill and raise the debt ceiling to keep our government operating and our economy in recovery. Republican efforts to hold up these basic functions of government are irresponsible and must stop immediately. The consequences are too great.”

September20,2013

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.J. Res. 59, a measure that threatens a government shutdown and does nothing to eliminate sequestration:

“We should be focused on removing the damaging cuts of sequestration and addressing the budget in a balanced and responsible way. Sequestration’s indiscriminate cuts continue to threaten national security and military readiness, jobs, and the economy. Unfortunately, rather than using the Continuing Resolution as an opportunity to address sequestration and our budget, House Republicans continued to play politics and used the threat of a government shutdown to push their agenda.

“As this bill moves through the legislative process, I hope the Senate can work on a balanced approach that removes sequestration and gives some long-term certainty for our economy. I remain committed to working with my colleagues and constituents to resolve these devastating cuts and find long-term solutions to our fiscal issues.”

September20,2013

Congressman Adam Smith released the following statement in recognition of the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps:

“Tomorrow we recognize the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps and the 80,000 members that help fight to expand educational and economic opportunities for our nation’s most vulnerable people.

“In Washington’s 9th Congressional District AmeriCorps members work in schools across all levels of education, Boys and Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and many more valuable service organizations. They help teach and mentor students, support veterans transitioning into civilian life, and protect our environment by restoring habitats and promoting clean energy. In the process, members get tremendous leadership experience for their future careers.

“I look forward to hearing about AmeriCorps future progress and success for the years to come.”

September19,2013

Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) released the following statement on H.R. 3102, a bill that would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by nearly $40 billion:

“Today, I opposed drastic cuts to SNAP that would eliminate essential nutrition support for millions of families across our nation. By changing eligibility requirements, the Republican led bill would slash $39 billion in SNAP funding over the next 10 years, resulting in nearly 4 million people losing all or part of their nutrition assistance. This is just wrong.

“This summer, I visited the Cherry Street Food Bank, Seattle’s Summer Food Service Program, Marra Farm, and more nutrition services throughout the 9th District. I saw firsthand how thousands of children, seniors, veterans, and families in our state rely on SNAP for meals and nutrition. Cutting close to $4 billion a year from this program would have a devastating impact.

“As our economy continues to recover, and unemployment is still high, it is critical that we continue to fight to save SNAP and the essential assistance it provides for millions of Americans. I have cosigned letters and cosponsored legislation that demands adequate funding for SNAP, and will do all I can to ensure that families get the nutrition assistance they need.”